Process for heating liquids by electrical energy



Get. 23, 1928. n 1

G. BAUM PROCESS FIOR HEATING LIQUIDS BY ELECTRICAL ENERGY Filed Oct. 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct.' 23, 1928. .1,688,619

G. BAUM PROCESS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS BY ELECTRICAL ENERGY l v F' ed oct. 15, 1925 2 sheets-sneer 2 Parental .0a. 23, 192e.A

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV BAUM, F KARNTEN, AUSTRIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NIAGARA ELECTRO yCHEHII- CAL COMPANY, INC., 0I' NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

PROCESS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS BY ELECTRICAL'ENERGY.

Application med october 15, 192.5, serial' no. 62,602, and in Austria october 2s, 1924.I

This invention' relates to a process for heating liquids by electrical energy, which heating may be effected for any purpose and particularly for distillation, concentration i or provocation of chemical reactions, etc.

In heating liquids by means of electrical energy and utilizing the liquid itself as resistance it is known to place between the elec trodes insulating structures, which divide the liquidinto streams thus increasing its resistance. Furthermore such structures have been constituted by several elements, the mutual position of which is variable in order to enable of regulating the intensity of current without the necessity of using series yresistances. In all these'cases the structures, immerged in the liquid contained in a receptacle, are exposed to hydrostatic pressure,

`'from which fact the disadvantage derives,

that the resistance of the liquid cannot be regulated by varying the speed at which the liquid is introduced, but only by changing the sectional area of the conducting channels by means of special controlling devices tobe provided for such purpose. Another drawback of like arrangements is that gases and vapours generated in the channels of the structure owing to the heat, can only escape to the surface by overwhelming'considerable friction resistances.

According to the present invention the liquid is caused to pass through distributing structures with interstitial spaces in such ,mannen that these interstitial spaces are filled only partly, no compact closed liquid body causing the rise of hydrostatic -pressure being formed, so that the generated gases or vapours can freely escape.. According to one method of carrying the invention into 0 practice this is realized by causing the uniformly spread liquid to trickle down over and through some porous material or else over materials-porous or not-piled upv in such manner as to 'leave interstitial spaces bea tween the single pieces, these porous or piled up bodies being` placed between the electrodes supplying and leading oif the current. This arrangement allows of varying the sectional area of the liquid offered to the current and 0 consequently also its resistance by increasing cr diminishing the quantity `of liquid spread on said structure. y

` If the heatin is to be carried out for the purpose of disti lation orconcentration or of provoking chemical reactions, the liquid is subject to continuous alterations regarding temperature, composition, concentration, etc.,

owing to which also its resistance changes.

The arrangement according to the present invention offers also the possibility of adjusting the apparatus by graduation to such changes of the state ltakingy place in the course of the treatment. For this purpose the said structure may by means of several suitably disposed electric supply mains (electrcdes) be subdivided intovseveral units, elements 4or components, vhaving V`interstitial spaces or pores of different size, and if de sired, being of dii'erent height.

In any of these cases very highly porous' bodies may be employed as material of said structure, the advantage being thus obtained,

that the heating of the liquid is aided and supported by an adsorbing action. In general the materials adapted to beused for such structures, may be such, which are not wetted by the liquid orv else such as will suck it up, furthermore electrically conductive or nonconductive bodies, the requisite quality being that all these materials at any degree of concentration occnrring during the treatment will not be attacked by the liquid or its va- Eours. As examples of such materials may e named: porcelain, stone-ware, metals, glass, glass-dross and furthermoreI unglazed ceramiclmasses, such as filters made of kieselgtuhr (infusorial earth) porous gels, sand, e c.

The process admits of a great variety of applications. Organic and `inorganic acids can be concentrated by its means, lyes can be concentrated and prepared for crystallization, solutions of all kinds can be reduced,

mixtures of liquids separated and reactions a distillation 'or concentration apparatus,

which may be used for instance in order to.

separate a mixture of aqueous sodium carbonate lye and ammonia and for concentrating the sodium carbonate lye.. The jacket 1,

which is made of earthenware, porcelain o1' some similar insulating material is provided with exhausts 2 on the arched lid, for thc vaours given out in the process. The columnlike structure 5 consists of non-conducting material with large pores, which is resisting to alkali at the temperature reached in the course of the process. Above and below the structure is covered by sieve like carbon electrodes 6, which are used as current lead-s. The structure is supported by a shell 7 which is made of quartz or similar material and surrounds the discharge pipe '8.

The solution taken through the leading-in pipe 3, is uniformly divided by the watering rose 4 and falls on the upper carbon plate 6 which is ymade as a sieve and thereby assists in the division. As soon as the solution iowing downwards has reached the lower current carrying plate 6, the circuit is closed. The strength of current-depends on the size of the pores of the material used for-the structure which must be chosen in accordance with the process in view, and furthermore on the quantity of the liquid spread on the structure per unit of time, which quantity can easily be adjusted by means of the tap 30.

If the apparatus is used solely for concentration and 1f the vapours given out are harmless, it is possible to dispense with the jacket 1.

If one has to carry out a distillation which involves also a chemical transformation, as occurs for instance when ethyl acetate (acetic ester) is formed from acetic acid and ethyl alcohol, then a corresponding longer heating circuit must be contrived by connecting in series several. components (units of structure) which are formed so as to answer the purpose in view. The porous structure and the height of the components must also conform to the duration or to the tem erature necessary foreach of the different ases of the process. For such diiicult con itions. it is advisable to employ instead of inner structures of naturally porous material,

structures whose hollow spaces are artificially l made by a suitable structural combination of individual components. Figures 2 and 3 give a longitudinal and a cross-section respec tively of this ty e of construction. Figures 4 and 5 deal wit details.

As shown in the ty e of construction given, the components of tile inner structures consists' of thin glass rods, lying horizontally and piled up into a stack. The rods of one tier areat right angles to the rods of the next tier and the distance between them is such that adhesion prevents the liquid from' detaching itself. This structure. provides a group of multiple channels as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The intervening spaces of the rods at the centre can, asshown in Figure 5 .be made larger, in order to provide channels vuseless for the cause the electro ytes are through it given anv Lesa-eva According to Fig. 2 the inner str ucture con`l sists of three components, viz the two units 19 and 20 consisting of piled up rails (rods) and the third unit 21 consisting of porous material, these single components being sepa rated from one another b carbon plates pierced like sieves. The istance between the rods isv different for each of the upper two components, and the height of the components likewise differs, in order to adjust the duration and the strength of heating to each phase of the process.

If the stacking is close and the rods used,l thin, narrow ones, one obtains high intensity of current, whereas by using broad, thick, rods and stacking less closely the strength Vcf current is reduced. The height of the component of the inner structures is inversely proportional to the strength of the current. The handling and the mode of action are similar to those for the first type of construction shown. This apparatus differs from the first type in so far as the uppermost and the middle components are provided withbale plates 23, whose function is to return the liquid particles of electrolyte which have been mechanically torn away and thus avoid, in the first place, the lossesl through splashing. The baiiie plates serve at the same time to dephlegmate theoutgoin gas and contribute to the concentration o the heat.

If desired, the middle component can be vgiven a special inlet in order to enable one to introduce additional electrolytes. The low- -est carbon plate 22 may be dispensed with in certain circumstances. In this case the lowest component carries no current but 1t 1s not rocess on that account, be-

opportunity of making Aa lon er circuit through the hot distillation cham er, Whereby the process may be favourably influenced in certain cases. l

In the following claims I use the term materials or bodies with small interstitial spaces to include piled or heaped u materials as well as orous bodies of any kind and having pores o any size.

What I claim is:

1. A process for heating liquids by elec- `llll lll trical energy, which consists in flowing the liquid used itself as resistance through nonconductingstructures having small interstitial spaces in such manner, that the interstitial spaces are only partly filled and that.

consequently no compact, closed liquid body is formed, the rise of hydrostatic pressure thus being avoided, and assing an electric current through said liquld.

2. A process for heating liquids by electrical ener which consists inspre'adlng the liquid use itself as resistance over non-conducting distributing structures having small interstitial spaces so that the liquid will trickle down over and through these structures, and passing an electric current through said liquid.

3. A process for heating liquids by electrical energy, which consists in spreading the liquid used itself as resistance over nonconducting distributing structures Ahaving small interstitial spaces so that the liquid will trickle down over and through these structures and passing an electric current through said liquid, and regulating the strength of current by adjustment of the quantity of liquid passing through per unit of. time.

4. Process comprising passing an electri' cally conducting liquid through an electrically non-conducting multiple channeled structure in amounts insufficient to completely ll the channels in said structure and passing an electric current through said liquid.

5. Process comprising passing an electrically conducting liquid through a channelled,

.electrically non-conducting structure in amounts insufficient to completely fill the pores in said structure and passing an electric current through said liquid.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature.

GUSTAV BAUM. 

